Bookbinding 101 Rounding & Backing

After making a couple of instructive videos on sewing books, I was going to make a tutorial video of sewing headbands. But I realized that I could make a tutorial of rounding and backing as I had to do it, before the headbanding anyhow. So, here it is. I hope this video is useful for beginners in bookbinding. Thanks for your interest in the trade. MHR~ P.S. I misspelled "endsheet" once on the video... Sorry..

NOTE: The hammer used on this video is not a backing hammer, which indeed is the tool to back and round books. But as my purpose of creating these tutorial videos is to encourage general population to start getting involved in the bookbinding trade, I always try to demonstrate things with ordinary items as much as possible, so that it doesn't discourage viewers from trying it just because they don't have the particular equipment to do the job. The methods featured on my tutorial videos are very basic and often I have to change a little in order to make it more feasible to the beginners. So it should not reflect the real trade of bookbinding. Yet my instructions are thought through so that the end result will be perfectly decent if you follow them.

[casyis]

As a traditional bookbinder myself, I'm very pleased to see a well-executed backing on YouTube. When I first began, I could find hardly any good examples. I wish this video had existed when I was but a beginner, as it would've saved me a great deal of time (and material). Thank you for sharing. Many bookbinders would not, as they keep their knowledge quite guarded. From one binder to another -- cheers!

[yvonnecarpenter]

Wow...fascinating to see how this is done! Thank you for sharing!

[BookbindersChronicle]

Well, first of all, I don't have a sexy enough voice to keep people's attention! :-p And secondly, if you succeed to keep your attention to my often long, silent video, it's a testimony to the fact you have a good potential to be a decent bookbinder! Patience is highly regarded and required in this trade. :-)

[BookbindersChronicle]

Thanks for your considerate words. As I'm a very private person, I've never wanted to be part of any sort of "Social Networking" type things, or being in the public eye. So all these years, I've been hiding behind book presses.But since I started a blog a month ago, it has made me feel inclined to share what I know, humbly, hoping that my trade wouldn't be completely lost in the future. I try to make videos w/as much detail as possible, so that people get the basics right the first time.

[RobertoDonatti]

I am astounded at the quality of your work! It's marvelous. I just can't wait until you complete the full tutorial. My heartfelt gratitude!

[RobKinneySouthpaw]

It was a great help. I made a book using these videos two weeks ago (first time) Buckskin-bound sketch journal or my brother. We'll see how it holds up. What I love about the non-verbal thing is, a person who speaks no English can pause the written frames, use Google Translate, and get all the other information through gesture alone. International treasure.

[Noofsmissus]

Thank you for your very comprehensive response! Your tutoring is really good. I like that you do not speak in the video. Sometimes the way people explain action can confuse what you see happening on the video if the video is not clear and close to the project - your way is visually clear and eliminates the verbal/visual contradictions that can happen. Good work and thanks again!

[JudiChristopher]

This is a FANTASTIC video...
The filming and editing was flawless...
I used to make commercials and the key
was... IF>>> you can understand the film without
sound.. then it is a great video/film...
"Bravo"

[Sadieat]

Thank you so very much for taking the time to make this video! It is really very helpful to us "newbies" out there. I appreciate so much the effort it took to make this!

[luismonmex]

Thanks for a very informative video.
Very clear, very concise and no music.
Wonderful.

[BookbindersChronicle]

Good evening Glic, Backing is necessary for medieval/tight-back bindings, wherein the boards used for the cover are tightly attached to the backing ridges so that the finished binding wouldn't have "gaps" on the hinges and will be like a "smooth block" as a whole. You can think of the backing boards on the video as the boards used for the cover later on. **Continues to the next~*

[ricci]

Thanks a lot. for so many years i was quite puzzled to see the nice hardbound round spine books. Now I see how it is made. I will try it surely to make my own journal

Once again Merci beaucoup ;)

[stephaniemann]

This a very good instructional video. i have found it interesting because of the information provided. It is also well presented being nether too quickly or too slowly presented. well done

[karmath]

Brilliant Job Sir - I was thinking how it to be round but its so easily done thanks a lot

[RaveWoIf]

Where were you when I needed you last year -.- , hahaha. This is amazing that you went through the trouble of giving such a detailed tutorial, hand binding is becoming a lost art in a world of consumerism that demands everything be done quickly and poorly.

[BookbindersChronicle]

Hi Escosa. I don't know if a draw knife could cut the book block right, but you can certainly try. Bookbinders in the western world use equipments such as a plough or guillotine to cut the edges of a book, but in Japanese bookbinding tradition, they use a curved knife to trim the edges. The edge shape of the knife is similar to mezzaluna (but with a single blade and a single handle), so you might want to try a single blade mezzaluna as well.

[mmeanabarbosa]

Very detailed. Thanks for the generosity of the spirit.

[SarcastSempervirens]

In these couple of videos you've managed to answer some questions I've head after watching many others, thank you for that! As I'm an absolute beginner, I was wondering - why is a spine rounded&backed? More precisely put, why are the signatures hammered all the way over the ridge of the press? I'd like to understand it, not just copy the instructions..

[JudiChristopher]

I want to book bind my manuscript,
making it look like it was a book back
in 1881... It is a story about
"Billy the Kid: Little Black Book of Secrets" (c).
and NO>>> it isn't like any other... ;)

I lived in Lincoln County New Mexico for 21
years, and after talking to people that their family
told the TRUTH about what really went on..
I will have the first 50 in gold leaf...
I love your style, and I hope when I have mine done
you'll be proud of me...

[饿羊吃狼]

and the WICKED brush






which is really cool